Page 41 of Stranded with the Alien

She perked up. A dead animal could mean food.

“How long dead? Does it look edible?”

“It looks fresh. See for yourself.”

Kara stumbled forward. A small bundle of grey fur lay on the sand in front of them. She knelt down to take a closer look.

“It’s one of those hound-beasts,” she said. “But young. Poor thing.”

“Poor thing?” Vahn grimaced. “Those animals nearly killed us.”

“I know, but this one’s only a puppy. I wonder what happened to it?”

“Its leg appears to be broken.”

Kara saw he was right. The pup’s hind leg was bent unnaturally.

“The pack probably left it behind. It doesn’t look like it’s been here long.”

“Check if it is still warm.”

Kara didn’t like the idea of eating a dead animal but she knew they had no choice. She put her hand on the little body, trying to gauge its freshness.

A tongue flickered across her fingers and she jumped.

“Jesus.”

“Kara, are you all right?”

“Yes, fine. But the bloody thing’s still alive.”

The little animal struggled to a sitting position and licked Kara’s hand again.

“Even better.” The Vraxian’s voice brimmed with satisfaction. “Let us wring its neck and have fresh meat.”

“What? No!” Kara looked into the puppy’s black eyes. A scar over the right one gave it a quizzical expression. “I’m not killing it. Besides, there’s barely enough for a mouthful. It’s tiny.”

Vahn shook his head in frustration. How could a species which had waged bloody war against the Vraxian Empire for two decades be so feeble-hearted?

He should snatch up the hound-beast right now and slaughter it on the spot. His stomach growled at the thought of roasted meat.

But then he looked at Kara, now stroking the puppy’s head, and knew he couldn’t do it.

Drek.

He looked round for something to make a splint with.

“Tear off a strip from your shirt,” he told her brusquely. She did as he asked.

Finding a stick of suitable length, Vahn strapped it to the creature’s damaged leg, straightening the bone. The puppy whined miserably in pain as Kara tried to calm it. When Vahn had finished, it found it was able to stand.

The small creature gazed up at them and wagged its thin tail.

“Look, it’s saying thank you,” said Kara. Vahn strode off.

“Alekt,” he said irritably.

Kara shooed the puppy away.

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